June 20, 2016 Monday 12 Week in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: 2 K 17:5–8, 13–15a, 18 Gospel: Matthew 7:1-5
Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not judge and you will not be judged. In the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and the measure you use for others will be used for you. Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye and not see the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother: ‘Come, let me take the speck from your eye,’ as long as that plank is in your own? Hypocrite, take first the plank out of your own eye, then you will see clear enough to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE (Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life
Experience)
The Gospel prohibition against judging others stands on the very logical basis that we are all imperfect. The time we spend in keeping an account of the inadequacies of others is better spent on improving ourselves.
“Do not judge and you will not be judged!” Is this a warning of some impending reprisal on those who are so critical of others? No. But it has reference to the self-exposure that results when one criticizes others. Each judgment one makes about others chips off a layer of his private self. In psychology this is “self projection”. In spirituality, this is hypocrisy.
On Judgment Day, we’d be embarrassed to find those we have condemned exalted by God’s compassion. Taking into account God’s great love for the lost sheep, there is a great possibility that the people we have categorized as lost will end up in God’s forgiving embrace. That will be their great vindication and our great embarrassment and condemnation, for “the judge is condemned when the criminal is acquitted” (Publilius Syrus).
The better thing to do is to apply our strict standard of judgment upon ourselves, forgive others and move on growing towards the stature of Christ. Is it really hard to forgive and forget? “Everyone complains of his memory”, wrote Rochefoucauld”, “but no one complains of his judgment”. As we grow old we forget many important things including the name of our spouse. Yet we never fail to remember the misdeeds of others. This is not an anomaly of memory but product of a proud heart.
By heeding Jesus’ prohibition against judging others we do not abdicate our solemn duty to correct one another. Matthew 18:15-17 requires us to point out the fault of our brother before him. But in order that our correcting may not result to judging, we must strive to be perfect just as the Heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Stronger than unsolicited advice of correction is the glare of the brightness of one’s holiness and perfection.– (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email:[email protected].
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